How ‘hero of the sky’ continues evacuation flights despite missiles dropping metres away

Smoke rising from crumbling buildings scattered similar scars crossed Beirut -this is the presumption from the windows of Middle East Airline (MEA) planes.

Since the commencement of Israel’s penetration of Lebanon successful its war against Hezbollah, airlines – 1 by 1 – suspended flights to the capital. But not MEA.

Lebanon’s nationalist bearer has emerged arsenic a ‘hero of the sky,’ continuing to evacuate people.

For Captain Mohammed Aziz, who was a aviator during the country’s Civil War, this is not true.

The MEA spokesperson told Metro that Western governments, including Britain, US and France, person provided assurances to the authorities that Israel volition not onslaught the airport.

Yet, Israeli missiles are dropping conscionable a fewer 100 metres from the Rafik Hariri International Airport during takeoffs and landings.

Captain Aziz said astir MEA’s determination to proceed to fly: ‘The airdrome is not acold from Beirut’s confederate suburbs, which person been getting bombed since the commencement of the war.

‘We person assurances from Western embassies that the airdrome volition beryllium kept speech from the conflict. This is what is allowing america to proceed operations.’

Figures provided by MEA amusement that successful October, 135,000 radical fled Beirut connected 1 of their flights, portion lone 40,000 bough a spot connected instrumentality flights.

‘In November, we person 63,000 passengers leaving and 53,000 returning,’ Captain Aziz pointed out.

‘This shows we person the spot of radical successful the mode we are operating and it is encouraging.’

He added: ‘People cognize that the airdrome is open, truthful determination is hope, adjacent for those who bash not fly. They cognize that Lebanon is not isolated from the remainder of the world.

‘The airdrome is our lone regular link. There are boats to Cyprus, but they are precise costly and bash not person capable space.

‘And hopefully contiguous oregon tomorrow, determination volition beryllium a ceasefire, which volition extremity each this. It would springiness america abstraction to breath.’

This is the latest struggle that MEA has not failed the Lebanese aft flying done the 1967 and 1973 determination wars, arsenic good arsenic the 15-year Civil War that ended successful 1990, and past Israel’s warfare with Hezbollah successful 2006.

More than a twelve of pilots and formation attendants are 2nd generations successful the aviation industry, truthful Captain Aziz said they precise good cognize astir the challenges their parents went done successful past conflicts.

In the past 3 months, MEA has received a batch of praise for maintaining flights and unit person been applauded for their ‘courage’.

Frank Mollen, the Netherlands ambassador to Lebanon, hailed the hose arsenic ‘the pridefulness of the nation, keeping truthful many, including myself, connected to the remainder of the world.’

Lebanese pharmacist, Dr Maggie Sakr, wrote successful a station connected X: ‘To the pilots of MEA, the heroes of the entity who person not stopped flying contempt the devastating warfare successful Lebanon, you are the embodiment of determination and steadfastness.’

One MEA pilot, Captain Rola Hoteit, shared a video connected Instagram showing the perilous landings astatine the airdrome and the explosions successful the adjacent distance.

She wrote: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is your skipper speaking. Through
all hardships, we proceed to fly, carrying Lebanon’s sanction and cedar crossed the immense skies.’

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